


ZenoHika Week Winter 2021 - Day 4: Grey collar

by Ivelia



Series: ZenoHika Week Winter 2021 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, ZenoHika Week (Final Fantasy XIV), ZenoHika Week Winter 2021 (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:00:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29187462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivelia/pseuds/Ivelia
Summary: This is my entry for the Day Four of ZenoHika Week Winter 2021 \o/The prompts for this are "Modern AU / Family / Game" so today's protagonists are:"Star white-collar employee" WoL x "New boss in town" Zenos.... I actually don't know shit about how HR works xDDon't think about this too much, let's follow the rule of cool \o/
Relationships: Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: ZenoHika Week Winter 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135964
Kudos: 4





	ZenoHika Week Winter 2021 - Day 4: Grey collar

**Author's Note:**

> Like Day Two and Three (and probably all other days unless I find a time extension pocket or something) this is, actually not the complete piece I intended, but... a teaser of sorts? Like, not really an extract (I may reword things) but a proof of concept, kinda?  
> Because once again I underestimated the flow of time, and only finished Day One in the given time frame aaaaaaa Yet I can't not submit anything on the day aaaaa  
> So in the meantime, have this \o/ I will come back someday (soon, or at least before we all die of old age xD) with the full piece, hopefully this can serve as a taste of the final thing?
> 
> Also... Zenos in the teaser is a case of "speak of the devil, he might send a DM but he doesn't actually appear because that's too mainstream" so please don't hurt me xD

\- “It's true what they say. He does have the eyes of a monster. A ravenous, insatiable fiend.” On the other side of the receiver, no answer came for a long time; Krile almost went to check whether the call had disconnected, when a somewhat slurred reply came out:

\- “Wait, he can't be _that_ bad...” The female voice that answered was still a bit hoarse, either from sleep, or from disuse, a stark difference from the image she had of her former colleague and star employee of Light Inc. She had left before their new boss had fully taken charge, so probably she was not aware of how dreadful the man was.

\- “He is! He made Livia literally cry at this morning’s meeting, and we're only _Wednesday._ ” Zenos Galvus, said new boss, had been here for less than a fortnight, but the changes he had made in the _Eorzean Company_ already had widespread repercussions.

\- “Livia, the head bitch of Sales for the Ala Mhigan region?” She heard something that sounded like a satisfied chuckle. “Can’t say she didn’t have it coming, always flaunting about Gaius this, Gaius that; you’d believe that the old CEO was her father, or whatever” More crackling sounds came from the receiver. After a short pause, her interlocutor resumed “Getting a dressing down is not on the list of things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, so if it’s just that…”

\- “It’s worse! For the _Resonant_ project, and _Ultima_ as well, he has scrapped the current progress but we still have to deliver it on time! Tataru from the Finance department almost had a meltdown when she saw that... We’ll definitely die! You have to come back to the office to save us!” On the other side of the line, she heard a soft sound of munching. Finally identifying the noise, she couldn’t help but exclaim: “I'm pouring my heart to you, and you're eating popoto chips?” Following her outburst, she heard a bout of coughing, then a strained, slightly plaintive answer:

\- “I'm not listening with my mouth, and I’m super hungry...” A gurgling noise, followed by some more coughing. “The issue is simple, if you don’t agree, then just quit.”

\- “Quit? Not everyone can do that!” Not everyone was the Hero of Light Inc., who probably had a ton of new job offers lined up the instant she left the building. Soon, she’d start working elsewhere… Would she forget about them, her old family?

\- “I didn’t say _resign_ , though that’s in the cards too. I just recommended you _quit working_. If he’s pressuring you guys this much, you can talk to the union, or even go and request a sick leave for burnout.” A retreat to advance strategy, sort of.

\- “But…” she hesitated, “he’ll still be there when we come back.”

\- “Well, he _might…_ if the investors don’t get his pretty head before that.” She started explaining. “He is not doing the work, _you_ are.” Krile heard that soft mocking laugh that generally signalled that someone was going to have a _very bad time._ “I remember the deadline on these projects being real _tight_ , right?” She could almost picture her former colleague and that _scary,_ _predatory_ smile. “If that daddy's boy is half as clever as he’s rumoured, he'll know what's good for him and come back to you begging, I _guarantee_ it. His decisions are not bad, but the method sucks; he just needs to learn about life a bit.”

Krile shuddered, hearing the dismissive way she talked about him, and then imagining that blonde mountain in a suit begging... Even then, she still wouldn't even reach his navel; and she didn’t need to have a closer look to the man’s bone chilling, bored stare that made you feel like you didn’t even exist. _No, thank you_ . She then realized that he might not look bored, but rather, _angry_ if they pulled that stunt, and this was even _worse:_ only someone like her current conversation partner could stomach a view like this. Elites truly had different tastes. 

She was taken out of her reverie by a rhythmic clatter on the other side of the phone. No way...

\- “Are you playing right now?” That would explain the sometimes delayed, distracted answers she got earlier… Yet looking at the clock, there was no way the former project manager, who -in spite of her pristine attendance and appearance, had admitted that she felt like quitting when having to wake up in the mornings- would be up this early when being a NEET. Unless... “You’ve been at it since yesterday night? That can’t be healthy!”

\- “Urgh, are you my mum?” Krile discerned traces of flustered guilt in her voice. _Touché._ “I didn't see you guys complain when I was working overtime on the Bahamut series”. _Touché_. They had been relying on her way too much when she’d been here, and now… She was gone.

\- “Can we really do this? By ourselves?”

\- “Of course you can” she encouraged her softly. “The key is to know yourself, your opponent, and what you can use against them. For example, we’re in reality: there are rules that everyone has to follow. Like this douche right now, in-game” She suddenly sounded somewhat angry “is harassing me; but I can block him, and move on, because that’s a tool at my disposal.” She sounded relieved -what did that random player do to receive such hatred? The voice continued “You have a work contract: that’s a tool. These were not reworked from before he joined, so they’re still pretty humane. Use that, and if you can’t… Then leave with your head high.”

\- “But, all our hard work…” They had poured their blood, sweat and tears in this company. She already didn’t understand how she could have left… and she didn’t want to do the same. She wouldn’t reconcile to this.

\- “Then, I won’t hide the fact that _you_ may have to fight for it. Well, fight… It’s not like I can come and fight your boss for you, sword in hand, or something.” A sigh. “What are you going to do if I can't come any more?”

\- “Why are you talking like this…? Could it be…” She was suddenly worried. “You left because you’re sick?”

\- “Oi, don't jinx me. And if I was ill, I would’ve stayed for the health insurance benefits, they’re pretty good”. 

\- “You!” Even as an early retiree, she didn’t change her business practices - _have no mercy, fleece the other party, and it’s better if they’re still happy_ \- and she didn’t change her heart. “Thank you for the advice. I’ll tell you how it goes!” As she was about to hang up, she heard a timid call.

\- “Krile…” A timid hesitation. “Thanks for checking up on me”.

* * *

In the dimly lit bedroom, the only light came from the wide computer screen in front of the woman, and from interstices from the curtains that blocked the daylight; she had been so busy all night that she forgot to open them when the sun rose, and she would “be going to sleep sometime soon, so, what was the point?”; or at least, that's what she’d been saying for way more than a few hours now. Once again, she almost threw her keyboard in frustration. 

\- (That “ZyG” again…) Since last night, how many times did they challenge her? She’d get a duel invite, accept it, and after the fight, she’d receive a friend request, accept it, and then receive a variation of:

> My dear, coward friend,
> 
> That was a fun battle. But how about you fight me on our preferred stage next?
> 
> Love, ZyG

\- (Creepy asshole.) Block, move on. And they’d pop back up under another alias a bit later. They were pretty much tied in terms of skill: sometimes she’d lose, sometimes she’d win, so it wasn’t that she was afraid, but... She had other things to do than fighting them for their entertainment. Yet, her pride wouldn’t let her back down. And now, she had almost wasted her night -thank god they did let up their relentless assault for an hour or two earlier in the day. Without Krile’s call, she wouldn’t even have realised how late (or early?) it was.

Another duel invite came in. She wavered, and ended up declining this time, but sent a message instead.

\- [I’m going to eat and sleep, back in a few hours so please kindly f*ck off. You should go do the same, don’t want any excuses when I kick your *ss.] She didn’t want them to believe she was scared, or anything; she’d be very pleased to wipe the floor with their face, but only after a comforting shower, a meal, and a few cycles in her quilt’s embrace.

As she stretched her numb limbs, her gaze fell on the crumpled suit in a corner of the room -she forgot to send it to the dry cleaner’s, but she didn’t plan to use it anytime soon. Unless… _Coward._ She thought back to the previous person who had called her like that. That guy really didn’t appreciate her slapping his figurative face with her _Yeah no, I quit_ on his first day… She sighed, then laughed. Some people really didn’t know their place.

Maybe she should just go to work again.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this brought you some entertainment \o/  
> And I hope I'll get to write the full piece before the end of this millennia...


End file.
